Monday, April 30, 2012

Lemongrass Ice Cream with Pineapple Compote

This was the final dish for the Thai inspired dinner party I threw yesterday (I will blog about that another day). The lemongrass adds a nice finish to this basic vanilla ice cream recipe, and is not overpowering. A bite starts off creamy and slightly sweet, and ends with that refreshing trademark scented tang.

METHODIce Cream
1. Trim lemon grass stalks and slice lengthwise down the centre. Bruise the stalks by bashing them with a rolling pin, then cut into whatever size will fit into your saucepan. Add coconut milk, sugar, and salt and place over medium heat. Bring it to just bubbling, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 mins, or until lemongrass is wilted and translucent.
2. Strain coconut mixture through a fine sieve to remove lemongrass. If needed, add more coconut milk or soy milk to make 3 cups. Return to saucepan over medium heat.
3. Whisk cornstarch or arrowroot powder into the 1 cup of soy milk to dissolve, then whisk into coconut milk mixture. Bring to just bubbling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
4. Let mixture fully cool in the fridge before making it into ice cream as per the instructions for your machine.

Pineapple Compote
1. Trim and core the pineapple and cut into 1/2" chunks.
2. Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add margarine and when melted, add pineapple. Cook for about 15 mins, stirring regularly, or until the pineapple begins to lightly brown. (The pineapple will release its juice, that will cook down, and then the pineapple will start to brown up.)
3. Add sugar and lime juice to the pan and cook/stir for 1 min, making sure the pineapple is nicely glazed. Serve warm with the ice cream.